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Subject:On-line help on UNIX and Windows From:Winfried Reng Dr <winfried -at- ASSYST-INTL -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 25 Sep 1997 13:38:13 MESZ
Hi Dave,
Our software runs on HP-UX and on Windows 95.
Our documentation is created with FrameMaker.
What I did:
1 Hypertext markers into the sections that should be called
by the software: "Newlink markername". The markername is unique.
In FrameMaker: Marker index with these markers.
This shouldn't be in the printed version. This is only to make
it context sensitive.
2 Conversion into HTML with Webmaker or Quadralay respectively.
(Quadralay is much more powerful. Whether FM 5.5 does the
same I don't know.)
3 Modification of the HTML output with an awk script.
Thus it looks nicer, has certain features like fitting to
the HTML various browsers need, icons/lines before certain sections
etc. "Cleaning up". Removing the link to the marker index from
the table of contents and in the file before this marker index.
4 Then display on UNIX with an HTML browser that we bought.
Much cheaper than lots of Netscape licenses etc.
(www.compgen.com/widgets/HView.html).
This widget had to be configured to our needs (buttons, functions).
The software is set up so that all Help calls are linked to unique
marker names. The marker names are mapped to certain files/
locations by the converted marker index.
Thus a Help call checks the marker name, looks into the marker
index for the file with this marker and starts the Help widget
with the page with this marker.
On Windows we use Netscape. (Internet Explorer cannot be made context
sensitive.)
As far as I remember Bristol HyperHelp didn't support FrameMaker books.
I don't like PDF as it's no real on-line help. Too much like
trying to view a book on-screen. Not very user-friendly.
(I think on the FrameMaker list they mentioned that you could make
it context sensitive. Check www.FrameUsers.com)
Bye,
Winfried
> I'm trying to determine how best to add context-sensitive help to a
> software product that runs on UNIX and Windows NT platforms. Does anyone do
> this, or know of a good approach?
> Currently, we write documentation (12 manuals, about 5000 total pages) in
> FrameMaker/Mac and distribute it in two forms: printed books and online
> Acrobat files. We'd like to make the online version more accessable by
> linking it more closely to the software, which would also reduce the
> quantity of printed material.
> Thanks. -- Dave
--
Winfried Reng, Documentation
assyst GmbH
Henschelring 15a
85551 Kirchheim bei Muenchen
Germany
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